Railway coupling



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RAILWAY COUPLING. Y PPLICATION FILED JUNE 5.4919.

y194257,942; Patemedsept. 5, 1922.4

A@ QMMMM Patented Sept'. 5, 1922.

einen HARRY W. COSTON, OF. PRT ELIZABETH, CAPE PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA.

RAILWAY conrnine. l

v Application filed June 5, 1919. i Serial No. 301,924.

T all fil/710m t 'may concern.'

Be it known that HARRY 'lWILiirAM Cos- ToN, subjectof the King of `Great Britain,

residing at 20' lllalker Street, Sydenham,

` which the following is a. specidcation.

The present invention relates to railway rcouplings' of the central bulifer type and comprising an axially `movable buiiier head,

, a draw-bar movable axially and independently of' the butler head, and 'spring resistance meansassociated with such head' and bar whereby two coupling unitsare retained in close connection.y The purpose of the invention is to provide a coupling` or this kind with radial movement which permits such close coupling to be eitected and maintained on curves.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a projected view partly in section oli a coupling constructed according to this invention.

Fig. ll is a plan drawn to a smaller scale and illustrating two such couplings connected on a curve.

1 is the buier head formed with a central opening 2. 3, 3, are rearwardly extending bars to which the head 1 is secured by pin joints et. Said 'bars 3 pass freely through a coupler head 5 and bear bytheir rounded eX- tremities 6 against a yoke 7. Tongues 8 extending 'from the plungers extend through slots 9 in the yoke 7 and are retained against withdrawal by pins 10.

The yoke i' is 'formed with a parti-cylindrical thrust bearing 11 seatedin a thrust block 12, the yoke being` cut away at 82 to allow it to tilt relatively to the draw-bar. The block 12 in turn bears against a compression spring 13 which thrusts against a washer 14 seated on an attachment 15 secured to the drag girder of the vehicle.

The coupler head 5 is secured by a pin 16 to the draw bar 17, which extends through the drag girder attachment 15. The coupler head is formed with a semicylin drical rear end`18 so that when the latter bears on the yoke 7, it leaves the yoke free to swing in its thrust bearing 12. The openings 19 in the coupler head 5 through which the bars 3 pass are such that said head supports the bars 3 (and with them the buiiicr head 1) against vertical movement whilst permitting them free lateral movement.

The draw bar 17 passes through andk supports the yokeand the thrust block 12 and is or' square section at 2O to hold said parts from rotating on it. At the rear end ot the draw bar isf'a washer 2l retained in place aga-insta shoulder 33 by a sleeve 22 and a nu-t'23 screwed onto the end of the draw bar, and locked by a split key 24. The sleeve 22 rpasses freely. through a plate 25 'fixed to the truck, which plate supports the` rear end of the draw bar and limits itsk movement. A. washer 26 seats on the rear tace ofthe drag girderyattachment 15 and between rsaid washers 21 and 26 is inserted the compression spring 27. The draw bar is formed with a'i'orwardly directed shoulder 28`a`dapted to bear against the washer i 14; said shoulder conveniently being provided by a sleeve 29 extending between the washers 21 and 14E.

ln the coupler head 5 is mounted a coupling pin 30 (3o-operating with a coupling link 31..

ln the operation. or coupling two vehicles fitted with the device described, the vehicles are pressed together to torce in the head 1 and thereby compress 'the spring 13. The coupling pins 30 of the two vehicles are then linked together and upon the external pressure on the vehicle being released and their being free for relative movement, the iorce of the spring 13 will cause the butter head 1 to move outwardly, andthrough the contacting butler head, .its coupling pin and the coupling link-to carry the coupler head 5 out with it until both springs 13 and 27 are at substantially equal tension. The tension thus imparted to the spring 27 tends to keep the vehicles close-coupled as though connected by a screw coupling. Additional buiiing pressure during ruiming is taken by the spring 13; whilst additional pull on the draw bar not only resisted by the spring 2T acting on the drag girder attachment 15, but, owing to the presence of the sleeve 29, causes the washer 14 to Jfollow up the spring 13 and thus maintain the buiiing pressure between the butter heads 1. This close coup ling action is given e'liect to on curves as well as when twovehicles are alined. Fig.` ll shows in-plan two couplings connected when their vehicles are on a curve, The butler heads 1 remain :tace to tace, both swinging relatively to their coupling heads 5 and their draw-bars 17. The yokes tilt with them whilst remaining in contact with the thrust blocks l2, and the over all length ot the two couplings is not substantially altered.

claim tl. In a central buer coupling the combination with a buffer head of a draggirder attachment, a yoke, a spring resisting inward movement of the buffer'head Aanddisl attachment.

2. In a 'central buffer coupling, the co1nbination with abutfer head, of a couplerhead, bars supporting the buffer head and sup- "ported by the couplerhead, a yoke from which said hars project, a draw-*bar secured to the coupler head and passing through said yoke, a drag girder attachment through which the" draw bar extends, afwasher adapted to bear on the attachment, a spring betw'eenthe yoke and said washer, a foriif'ardly directed shoulder on the draw bar adapted to 'bear 'againstsaid washer, and a spring bearing on the attachment and connected to1 Athe draw bar tol resist outward movement thereof. I

3. In a'central buier coupling, the *combination with a butter head, of bars pivoted at the sides thereof, andA extending rearvwar'dly, la yoke to which the rear ends of said bars are pivotally secured, -a thrust block lon 'which the yoke bearsfor lateral swinging movement, a coupler head sup-k porting the buffer head 'and secured to a ldra'w bar and `spring transmission means associated'with'the buffer head and coupler head.

" In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

HARRY W. COSTON. 

